I just saw on Fox 11 KTTV's 10 p.m. news a story on Johnny's and evidently they just went ahead and continued tearing down most of what was left without pulling any demo permits. It did look like the signage was still somewhat intact. What a shame.

Thanks to Syd at Roadside Peek for posting all the updates and photos (in the middle of the night!).

Johnie's Broiler closed on New Year's Eve 2001 and has been an ongoing issue since -- thank you all for supporting Johnie's over the years at the many Friends of Johnie's fundraising events, rallies, vintage car shows, and our Blasters concert.

Last edited by Adriene on Tue Jan 09, 2007 2:59 am, edited 1 time in total.

On this sad Monday morning Jan 8, 2007. As you have heard and seen on the news Johnie's Broiler has been partially bulldozed. There were no demo permits pulled so this was an illigal operation. We need a lot of support at the Downey City Council Meeting Tuesday Jan 9, 7:30 PM. Please attend this meeting and let your voice be heard. If you can't make it please email your responses to the Downey City Council. Here are there address. If you email please send a copy to the city clerk so that it will be officially recorded in the record.

Our MODCOM chair Adriene was there on the scene immediately. She helped the Downey folks stop the illegal demo but it's so very bad. It really was like a plane crash. The demo crew didn't even put up a fence - no asbestos abatement - nothing. Just moved the cars over a few feet and started pushing it over.

It seems illegal? It WAS ILLEGAL! I was there with Adriene. We rushed to the scene as soon as we heard. About 1/4 of the building is still intact, the big sign is still up and the very front right corner. The neon could still be saved and this part of the building probably could be stabilized and then intergraded into any new structure built onto the site. Preservation aside, Hell... you can't even build a storage shed larger than 8'X8' square, or tear one down in LA without pulling a permit! What gives them the right to tear down a state nominated landmark, that they don't even own, without a permit?! The demolition was carried out by the current TENNANTS of the place, a used car dealership. They just took it upon themselves to do this. The property owner declines to comment but also claims to not have had any prior knowledge of it , we are very suspicious of him though.
Other issues are at stake, public safety and health code violations. We noticed a strong pungent musty smell emanating from the rubble as well as dust clouds or plumes of smoke. Most old buildings, especially Mid-Century structures must go threw an asbestos abatement search and permitting process before demolition, this was not preformed. The sign could have fallen onto Firestone blvd during demolition and debris were found on the sidewalks as well as in the far right lane of Firestone causing the police to shut down the lane! There was a question as to if the gas lines were properly disconnected and if power and water were cut! The demolition people put up only a strip of CAUTION TAPE as a boundary for passers by. No protective fencing was used and any child or vagrant could have been playing or wandering around it , during and after the demolition!
This crew was decisively unprofessional; perhaps the perpetrators just rented the bulldozer themselves and went to Home Depot to get an illegal driver for it?! They did the demo, surreptitiously on a Sunday evening, starting at 3:00 pm, using a back how and bulldozer to simply tear at the building. The steel skeleton of the building is partly intact as they must of found that they couldn't simply push it down. Usually building inspectors must review a pending demolition before it occurs to see the safest way to proceeded without causing a hazardous collapse. Licensed and educated demolition crews decide if they must weaken supporting beams by torch, cutting in precise places so that they can be disassembled easily or implode onto themselves rather than twist or fall haphazardly onto the street. The police noted that when they drove up to the site, the crew just fled the scene abandoning their equipment. According to repots, one straggler was accosted and said to an officer " The Conservancy lost it's right to the ownership and preservation of the building"! So it appears to have been done with spiteful intent directed at US! The LA Modernism Preservation Community!

A - you did a great job on Channel 2 this morning! There should be some jail time for these folks. They'll probably get the ole slap on the hand, and walk away with a don't do this again. I am so so so sad.

A friend of mine at work today, mentioned that she was going to bring flowers and a candle down to Johnie's broiler and place them at the corner. If anyone wants to join in, it sounds like a great idea.

To say I am upset about the illegal demolition of Johnie's Broiler is an understatement.

Johnie's was an architecturally intact and working restaurant as of 2001, but today it is rubble. Even as Johnie's careless owner chipped away at the building year by year, the fame and cultural importance of it kept it eligible for the California State Register. Thousands of people are in mourning as the relevance of Downey's loss and the despicable actions of Johnie's owner, Christos John Smyrniotis, stretches from coast to coast.

What will happen to this semi-demolished building now? In recompense for this dangerous and illegal demolition, could the coffee shop and Johnie's neon signage be salvaged and restored on the owner's dime? Shouldn't he be made to restore this public ruin and nationally-mourned landmark?

The owner of this property committed a heinous and unforgivable crime and he must be punished fully and harshly. The City Council of Downey must sufficiently punish this criminal, Smyrniotis, for his careless and selfish act or the crime will fall on your shoulders and resonate to other Downey landowners who may also follow suit with more illegal demolitions.

Smyrniotis knew he owned a true and historic gem that was admired by thousands of Americana and architecture fans, but he nonetheless broke the law and destroyed it by illegal means. I implore you to take severe actionâ€”Save Johnie's and punish Smyrniotis.

Sincerely,
J. Eric Lynxwiler

cc:
The Los Angeles Conservancy
The Modern Committee
The Museum of Neon Art

The rule of law was broken today and this cannot stand. I am very upset
that anybody could do what has happened, and then under the cover of a
weekend when they thought nobody was watching.

Our City has started an investigation today and I want to make sure that
all laws are enforced in our City. Public safety was also dis-regarded
and our laws were circumvented for personal gain. This will not stand
and this cannot happen again.

Thank you for sharing your concerns and please know that we are just as
upset as you are and that appropriate action will be taken to those who
have broken the law.

I am in complete agreement with your disgust in this issue. Please be assured that we will prosecute the offenders to the fullest extent possible under the law.

David Gafin
Downey City Council

---------------------------------

Mr. Lynxwiler

Thank you for your email and voice of concern. Like you, I am very angry about how this was done in a calculated and undermining way to circumvent the city's process and procedure. I assure you that I will pursue this action aggressively against the responsible parties. My intent is to not only require the payment of appropriate fines but also to require the property owner to rebuild this landmark. Anything less is not sufficient.

Don't forget Alan Hess will be presenting at the Downey Historical Society Meeting January 25, 2007. For more info see the post on this message board. I bet he will have something to say about Johnie's

The rule of law was broken today and this cannot stand. The illegal demolition and dis-regard for public safety will be a big part of the investigation that was started this morning. This is wrong and it will not go un-punished.

I am very upset that somebody could take it upon themselves to do this and we will prosecute to the intent of the laws we will be dealing with. Please know that we all share your concerns and your voice. Thank you for taking the time to let us know your feelings.

I am just as angry as you are and many others. The rule of law was broken and it cannot, and will not go un-punished. Public safety was ignored and nobody is above the law.

We have started a criminal investigation and those responsible will be prosecuted. We will pursue those who think that they can break laws and take matters into their own hands.

I thought about a candle light vigil but what seems more appropriate is a all night "Cruising" circle around Johnnie's by the vintage car clubs and the vintage Hearse club! Clog up Firestone Blvd. with old cars in protest!

Limited permission is granted for anyone who would like to use the photos for educational purposes with proper credit.

It's just the saddest site you can imagine. I'm very glad to have happy memories of Johnie's (with many of you wacky modcommers). I especially remember spending one saturday night standing under the sign listening to the solenoids that caused the incandescent bulbs to flicker. A magical sound from our collective past now all but lost.

Amazingly, the sign is intact and savlageable! But it certainly wouldn't be the same without the rest of the structure.

DOWNEY--Cristos Smyrniotis, owner of the Johnieâ€™s Broiler property in Downey, a former 1950â€™s style diner that was illegally demolished Sunday, called himself a victim in an exclusive interview with The Downey Patriot.

â€œI had no idea they were going to tear Johnieâ€™s downâ€ Smyrniotis said in a telephone interview Tuesday afternoon. â€œThe tenants did something very stupid. They created this mess themselves, tearing down the building with no permits. This is ridiculous.â€

Johnieâ€™s Broiler, a former teen hotspot and popular Hollywood film location, was on its way to potential historical preservation. It was razed to near completion Sunday, outraging the community.

Downey police responded to Johnieâ€™s, 7447 Firestone Boulevard, at approximately 5 p.m. Sunday, city officials said. Much of the structure had already been destroyed by that point, although the famous â€œFat Boyâ€ signed remained intact.

Both the city and Downey Police Department were conducting separate investigations into the destruction. The city council will hold a special closed-door session Tuesday to discuss the incident and consider legal options, Assistant City Manager Scott Pomrehn said. A large turnout is expected.

â€œIâ€™m a victim too,â€ Smyrniotis said. â€œWhen I waked up in the morning I used to look up and look proudly at Johnieâ€™s and say â€˜Thatâ€™s my place.â€™ Iâ€™m sad and disappointed. You didnâ€™t have to bulldoze that place. It wasnâ€™t necessary.â€

Smyrniotis said he was sending his lawyer to Tuesdayâ€™s city council meeting on his behalf. When asked if he had spoken to his tenants regarding the demolition, he responded, â€œOf course,â€ but would not elaborate beyond that.

â€œI was having breakfast with my wife when I got a phone call from the Downey Fire Department,â€ Smyrniotis told the Patriot. â€œThey said, â€˜Are you the owner of Johnieâ€™s Broiler?â€™ I said yes and they said â€˜You better come down here.â€™ So I go down there and the police is there, the fire is there, code enforcement, media. Everybody and their mother is there. I was in shock at the destruction.â€

Also I don't believe a word that Johnnie said. "He's the victim." And I know he wasn't having breakfast at the time. I saw him arrive the night of the destruction, he didn't look to disturbed to me. Oh yes and a couple of months ago he put in for a demo permit. I guess he really does love his building. He loves it so much hewanted it torn down.

I agree! We were there as well. Not only did he arrive after 5PM but he seemed not at all surprised or disturbed by the demo. I wonder who called him at breakfast to tell him about the demo? It sure wasn't the fire department! Police were the first ones notified and that was at 4:00 - 4:30 PM Fire department came later.

I think he just confused the call from the tenants telling him that the demo was on as planned with the afternoon call from the cops. It a natural mistake anyone in his position would make.

Last edited by bluecherub on Wed Jan 10, 2007 12:13 am, edited 1 time in total.

Thank you all for sending your e-mails and driving out to Downey last night!

I am so impressed with the outpouring of support -- just when we need it most. Every person who came up and spoke to us while surveying the wreckage at Johnie's over the past three days showed up at City Hall. There were not only local community residents, but out of the area supporters, classic car owners, even entire families -- one family with three children arrived wearing "REBUILD JOHNIE'S BROILER!!" t-shirts and was immediately filmed by news crews.

This is an extremely serious issue with far-reaching implications and the Conservancy and the Modern Committee will continue to apply pressure not only to press legal charges against the perpetrators of this crime, but to reconstruct Johnie's.

City officials said longtime owner Christos "Johnie" Smyrniotis had asked city planning officials in October for permission to demolish the building and build a small retail complex on the site. In November, the city said the application wasn't complete and requested more information about how the new plans would affect the historic aspects of the property.

The 2002 preservation campaign succeeded. The property would have been included in the state Register of Historic Places after the nine-member state Historic Resources Commission unanimously approved its listing in late 2002 â€” except that Smyrniotis had objected (on economic grounds, he told the commission). Owner approval is required for inclusion.